Store-service apparatus



(NoHodeL) 4S'heetsSheet 1 E. WERNER. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Patented Aug. 21 1883.

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W INVENTOR: Wm: {II 1.3

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WITNESSES:

N PL'IERS Mlillwgnplmr. Wahmglun, n. C.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' E. WERNER.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Patented Aug I llill(l a IIII/ WITNESSES u. Prints PlmlvuhwnyhmWashington. 0.1

(No mom. 4 Sheets3heet 3.

E. WERNER. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 283,543; A Patented u 21, 188 3 (No Model.) v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

E. WERNER.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. No. 283,543. Patented Aug. 21, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

EMIL VTERNER, OF'PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

" STORE-SERVlCEAPPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,543, dated August21, 1883.

I Appllchtion filed June 16, 1883. (N model.)

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, EMIL XVERNER, a citizenof the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia,State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inStore-Service Apparatus, which improvement is fully set forth in thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings, in

' which- Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of the hoisting devices ofstoreservice apparatds embodying my invent-ions Fig. 3 is a top viewthereof. Figs. 4a11d5 are side. elevations of the lowering devicesthereof. Fi 6 is a side elevation of the switch mechanism thereof.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section in line av 00, Fig. (5.

' system embodied.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

My invention consists of store-service apparatus provided with means forconveniently and. easily elevating the load or goods conveyer to themain track, releasing the same, and'causing it to advance with certaintyto the receiver or receiving department, where the goods are wrapped,packed, or bundled, money acknowledged, change made, &c. The conveyer isreturned to its starting place, provision being made for automaticallyoperating switches along the line or track, so that each conveyorreturns to its own counter or starting-place, and the speed of thedescending conveyor as it leaves the main track is nicely governed anduniformity maintained, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

Referringto the drawings, A represents an elevated track properlysustained on hangers B, which are secured to the ceiling of the store orapartment containing the apparatus.

0 representscolumns, one or both of which being hollow, properlysupported on a counter in the store, to the top whereof is attached aplate, D, on which is mounted a pulley, E, around which passes a rope orchain, F, one

end of which is secured to arising and falling bracket, G, and the otherend to a counterweight which is located within one of the columns (.3.The bracket G is guided on the c0lumns O, and carries a short rail, H,the top whereof inclined, and on which is run the roller H of theconveyer J.

J represents an arm which rises from the bracket, and to it is pivoted abrake-lever, J, one end of which has a shoe, J so disposed that it bearsagainst the periphery of the roller H and prevents rotation of thelatter. bracket- G- is also attached one end of a cord or chain, K,which passes around a pulley, K, secured overhead, the other end of thecord being likewise secured overhead. A pulley, K, rests on the cord orchain between the upper end of the same and the pulley K, whereby bydrawing downsaid pulley K the cord or chain K is adapted to raise thebracket G- and attached parts to the track A.

The track A has a pivoted section, A, which occupies a position abovethe tsack H, so as to be raised by the latter when elevated, saidsection, when lowered, preserving the continuity of the track A, theraising of the section being accomplished by means of a pin, G, whichprojects horizontally from the arm J of the bracket G. I

Projecting horizontally from the hanger 13 is a pin or stud, B, which isso disposed that when the bracket G is raised the brake-lever J To thestrikes said pin or stud, thuscausing the shoe 'from the11angcrl3,adjacent to the pin or stud "13, so that the end of said leverJ abuts against said pin and stop, and is thereby held 5 or said stopmay be secured to the brake-lever J and abut against the arm J. hen thepivoted section A of the track is in its lowermost i0- sit-ion, it issustained by an arm, shoulder, pin,

or proj cetion, A, on the lower end of the hanger B. The conveyer,having been started on its way to the receiver, cashier, or other properparty, reaches the locality of said party, whose position is such as tobe able to remove the goods, money, &c., of the load within the basket.of the conveyer, and said conveyer, with its -reloaded basket, islifted from the track A and placed on another track, A, (see Fig. 12,)for directing it back to branch rail A or A, where the elevating devicehereinbefore described is located, the tracks A A being inclined inreverse order. The terminus of the track A is adjacent to a rail, L, thelatter being supported 011 a rising and falling carriage, L, which isguided on columns L, properly secured in position on a counter or tablein the store where the apparatus is employed.

Mounted on a frame, L, supported on the top connecting cross-piece ofthe columns L, is a-ehain-wheel, M, to the shaft of which is conneeted abevel-wheel, M, which meshes with a bevel-pinion, M, whose shaft hextends upright, and has loosely fitted on it a horizontally-arrangeddisk, N, to which are attached the arms N of a governor, said armsdepending from the shaft M. The frame carries two or morefriction-pulleys, N, which have horizontal axes, and are disposed abovethe disk N, so that they may be engaged by the latter when the disk israised by the action of the governor.

In order to rotate the shaft or stem ll and consequently thegovernor-arms, the wheel M has a chain or rope, M passed around it, oneend whereof is connected with the carriage L,

V and the other end with a counter-weight lo- .cated in one of thecolumns L, it being evident that the motion of the carriage impartsmotion to the chain, and thus to the shaft or stem M"through the mediumof the intermediate parts.

P represents the vertical guide, to which is pivoted the rail L on thecarriage L; and 1 represents an abutment extending upright and securedto the lower portion of one of the columns L, so that the rail willstrike said abutment when the carriage descends, and thereby be raised,the effect of which is to direct the roller H of the conveyer J,occupying the rail L, from such position 011 the rail L, and cause it toride on a track, A, which is mounted in such manner as to form acontinuity of the rail L when lowered, said track A being inclined inreverse order to the rail A and extending toward the columns 0, to which(in the present case) it is secured, the end of said track A terminatingwhere the rail H begins, so that when the bracket G is lowered the tracki "and rail H are in communication, and the roller H may again reachsaid rail H, and be held by the brake-shoe ready to be raised with theconveyer to the track A, and again begin its circuit.

The brakelever J may be lowered by gravity or the action of a springsuitably applied;

but I prefer to avoid springs in-the entire apparatus.

Vhen the carriage L" is lowered, it is neces- 7o .sary to prevent thenext conveyer reaching the end of the rail A or A from dropping into thegap created by the descent of the carriage. For this purpose there ispivoted to the under side of the top cross-piece 7 5 of the columns L agravitating arm, Q, and secured to the upper side of the carriage L alifting-arm, Q, the object whereof is to hold said arm Q sufficientlyhigh so as to permit the roller H of the conveyer to pass under the sameand reach the rail L. Vhen the can riage descends, the arm Q leaves thearm Q,

and the latter falls and occupies a position in the path of the rollerof the advancing conveyer, so as to stop the same; \Vhen the carriagereturns to its normal posi tion, the arm Q is again raised and theconveyer rolls on the rail L, ready to be lowered, as previously setforth. At proper places switches are employed, so that goods or loads 0shifting to-the right for returning a conveyer to counter 2 and theother to the left for re- 10o turning a conveyer to counter 1.

Each switch-rail, consisting of a single face rail, is pivoted at oneend by a vertical pin, bolt, or screw, I), and supported on the otherend, 0, on an inclined weighted arm, S, which is pivoted, as at c, to anarm, S, rising fromand secured to the hanger B, whichsupports thelengths of the rail A adjacent to the switch rail, the weight on saidarm S being inferior to that of the conveyer and superior to that of Ito the rail It, so that when the conveyer rolls on the rail B its weighton said rail causes the latter to move down with the arm S on its pivotd, describing the arc of a circle and pass ing to the siding or turn-offA or A", it I 15 being noticed that the latter is lower than the maintrack, the radial motion of the rail It being permitted at the pivot b,owing to the inclination b of the upper face of the rail and lower faceof the part of the hanger B, to

which the pivot b is screwed or affixed, said faces being contiguous. Assoon as the conveyerleaves the turn-off, the rail It, under ac. tion ofthe weighted arm S, returns to its nor mal position, rising to the same,and so pre- I2 5 serves the continuity of the main track A. In certaincases it is required that the eonveyer continue 011 the main track. Forthis purpose the rail R is firmly held as the con- Depending from I 30veyer passes over the same. I the hanger B is a gravitating latch, T,the upper end whereof engages with a lug on the (See Fig. 4.) 85

The number of switches em- 5 side of the rail R, so as to prevent motionof the same. The arm J which is attached to the axis or frame of. theroller H and carries the basket of the conveyer J has a laterallyprojecting pin,.J which is adapted to directly engage with or to strikethe latch T, in order to release the switch-rail R and permit operationthereof, or so located as to clear said latch, or be entirely dispensedw ith, whereby the rail is permitted to remain at rest, so thataconveyer returning to the counter 2 will automati cally shi ft therelative switchrail A while a-conveycrreturning to the counter 1 willpass the switch of counter 52 without operatingit, and when it reachesthe switch for said counter 1 it will shift the rail R thereof, wherebythe conveyer rolls on the rail A The hanger B is that employed forsupporting the main track at the head and butt-ends of the switcltrail;

W'here several switches are required,latches T of different lengths areemployed, and the arm J of the conveyors provided with pins J located atdifferent heights on one side, so that each convcyer automatically seeksits own siding, and so returns to the startingpoint. I

It will be seen that when the load or goods, money, &c., are placed inthe basket or conveyer the latter is raised to the level of the track A.The section A of the track rises and the rail H occupies its position.The brake-lever is operated by the pin or stud B, and its shoe clearsthe roller H, whereby the conveyorimmediately passes to the track A andruns down the same to the receiver or the place where the load or goodsare packed, money accounted for, change made, 82c. W'hen the conveyerleaves the rail H, the bracket G is lowered, thus placing said railinits normal position adjacent to the end of the rail A The receiverremoves the goods and transfers the conveyor to the track A, placingtherein the bundle or package of the goods, receipt for money andchange, and other matter, if any, and lets the conveyor run down saidtrack A.

Should the load have originally started from counter 1, the pin of theconv'eyer will passthe switch-rail of the counter-2 without the pin Joperating the latch T, said rail thus remaining unmoved, and theconveyor continues on the track A until it reaches its own switch, whenthe pin J strikes the latch T and shifts the switch, whereby theconveyer reaches the track A and is thereby directed on the rail L ofthe carriage L. The latter, owing to the superimposed weight of theconveyor and contents, begins to descend, and when the lever Pstrikesthe projection I said lever raised, thus throwing the roller H on therail A, which being inclined causes the conveyor to return to the railH, which being reached again supports the conveyer. Thelatter may thenreceive another supply of goods, money, &c., and the bracketmay bewheels or pulleys N".

raised, placing the rail H in communication with the track A, wherebythe conveyor begins its circuit on the tracks, as hereinbefore stated.hen the carriage L descends with the load, rotation is imparted to thegovernor-arms.

As the speed increases said arms rise, as usual in governors, and thedisk N is elevated and caused to approach and ride on the friction W henthe speed of the carriage increases and becomes excessive, the disk istightened against the friction-wheels, thus checking the rotation of thegovernorarms, the gearing, and the paying off of the chain M, andcausnig the carriage to descend with less rapidity, the governor servingat all times to regulate the speed of the descending carriage and causethe same to move at a predetermined and equable rate of speed, so as toreach its lowest point without material noise, shock, or danger. \Vhenthe conveyer leaves the rail L, the carriage returns to its normalposition at the top of the columns L, so that the nextconvcycr may passfrom the track A to said rail L.

The speed of the roller ll over thetraeks A. AJ' may be regulated bymaking the same 01. different diameters.

Each side of the store or difi'erent locality thereof may have its ownline or track for sending the couveyer to the receiver, and in Fig. 12 asingle track A is shown as employed for different counters; but ineachcase the returning-track A! is common to the entire store, thedifferent counters being accessible therefrom by the turn-oils A ",A,&c.

. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent. is i 1. In a store-servicc apparatus, ahoisting device of the conveyer, consisting of p ulley E, rope or chain1:, and counter-weight cord or chain K, pulley K, and pulley K, theslide or bracket and the post or column, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. A rising and falling bracket or carriage having a rail, H, incombination with the main track A, having a section, A, which is movedby said bracket or carriage, and permits the rail H to be incommunication with the main, track, substantially as and for thepurposeset forth. 1

3. The main track and a rail on arising and falling bracket, incombination with a brake and a hanger or support for the main track,provided with means for automatically releasing said brake,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

a. A rising and falling bracket or carriage, a rail supported thereon,and a pin or stud projecting therefrom, in combination with the elevatedtrack, having an upwardly-movable section which is adapted to bestruckby said pin or stud, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

5. The bracket G, rail H, and brake-lever,

in combination with the hanger having a pin ITO orstnd, B, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

6. The rail H and brake-levers J, in combination with the hangerprovided with a throw-off pin and a stop for said lever, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

7. The siding or turnoff, A* or A in combination with therising andfalling can riage L, provided with a rail, L, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

8. The rail L on the rising and falling carriage, provided with avertical guide, P, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The governor for the descending carriage, consisting ofgovernor-arms, and an attached l'rictiondisk, frictionavheels, gearing,and a connecting chain or rope, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

10. The carriage L and cminter-weight, in combination with governorarms, frictionwheels and a friction-disk, and gearing intermediate ofsaid disk and carriage, substan tially as and for the purpose set forth.7

11. The carriage L, in combination with the chain, chain-wheel, gearingM M, disk N, governor-a-rms N, and friction wheels or pulleys N,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. The carriage L, having thetrack L, and a vertical guide, P, incombination with the abutment P, substantially as and for the pur poseset forth.

13. Thetrack A or A*, rail L, vertical guide P, abutment P, and rail11", combined and operating substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

14.. The track A or A in combination with the stop-arm Q, lifting-arm Q,and carriage L, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

15. In a store-service apparatus, a switchrail vertically pivoted at oneend, and supported on the other end by a swinging arni,

16. In a store-service apparatus, a switch-- rail, in combination withthe main track and a siding and a supporting weighted arm, the end ofsaid siding being lower than the adjacent end of the main track,substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

17. In a store-service apparatus, an elevated track, with a siding orturn-off, in combination with a switch-rail having a vertical pivot, aninclined swinging arm supporting said rail, and a gravitating latch,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

18. The combination of a switch-railhaving a vertical pivot andconnected arm, and a hang,- er to whichthe rail is pivoted, thecontiguous faces of said rail and hanger being inclined, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

19. A switch-rail, in combination with a gravitating latch and theconveyer provided with a pin, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

20. An elevated track havinglatches of different lengths, and conveyershaving pins located at different heights, combined and operatingsubstanti ally as and for the purpose set forth.

EMIL \VERNER.

Witnesses:

J OHN A. VIEDERSHEIM, A. P. GRANT.

